Gone in 60 minutes? Wiggins to attempt hour record at London Olympic velodrome

Gone in 60 minutes? Wiggins to attempt hour record at London Olympic velodrome

Sir Bradley Wiggins, Britain’s first Tour de France champion, will attempt to break the hour record in London on Sunday June 7.

The hour record is one of cycling’s most physically demanding challenges, measuring the distance a cyclist can travel within 60 minutes.

The Wigan-based Olympian will return to Lee Valley VeloPark, the scene of his historic London 2012 triumph, to attempt to beat the current record of 52.4 kilometres (32.5 miles) set by Australian Rohan Dennis in February.

Sir Bradley said: “The Hour Record is a holy grail for cyclists. It’s been fought over tooth and nail by the greatest names in our sport for over a hundred years and it’s time for me to have a crack at it.”

Since its inception in the 19th century, the hour record has established itself as the ultimate symbol of accomplishment both among the cycling elite and speculative amateurs.

Fellow British riders Chris Boardman and Graham Obree have previously held the mark using equipment since deemed illegal.

The ‘Modfather’ Wiggins, whose trophy cabinet will soon require its own postcode, wants to add the gruelling challenge to his collection, having dominated both the track and road disciplines of the sport for nearly a decade.

Since Wiggins won the Tour de France in 2012, membership at British Cycling – the national body for the sport – has doubled. Sir Bradley hoped this trend would continue.

“I hope this is a challenge that inspires people: Why not get your bike out of the shed and see how far you can go in an hour?” the world time trial champion said.

Tickets to watch the event will go on sale through Sky Tickets from Friday 17th April (10am) and will be available through http:// tickets.sky.com/cycling

It will also be shown live across the UK and the Republic of Ireland on Sky Sports.

Wiggins' compatriot Alex Dowsett is making an earlier bid to better Dennis' mark on May 2 at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester.

Main image courtesy of Cycling Pro Net via YouTube, with thanks.

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